Buncombe County News

This news item expired on 12/31/2014, so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.

Eat Your Way to Pearly Whites

Can you trade in your teeth-whitening products for something green instead? Maybe.

Getting more greens in your diet – long with other veggies and fruit – would help thwart staining, write RealAge experts Michael Roizen, MD, and Mehmet Oz, MD, in their new book, YOU: Being Beautiful.

Protect and Destroy

Sure, cutting back on coffee may help, too. But why not make more trips to the produce aisle for extra insurance. Apples, celery, and carrots act as natural stain removers, Drs. Roizen and Oz note in their book, while greens such as spinach, broccoli, and lettuce create a film over the teeth that serves as a stain barrier.

Stain Be Gone

Here are a few more tricks and tips for keeping your choppers gleaming and healthy:

Swish and sip some water after eating a couple of bites of foods known to stain teeth (like red wine, tea, blueberries, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, tomato sauce, and grape and cranberry juice).